Grilled corn on the barbecue with bacon and cheddar
- Preparation 15 min
- Cooking 12 min
- Servings 8
- Freezing I do not suggest
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🌽 The BBQ corn that changed my life
Honestly, since I’ve been grilling my corn on the barbecue, I never boil corn on the cob anymore. Cooked at maximum heat for 12 minutes, well coated with olive oil, it’s completely insane. The corn caramelizes, the kernels burst in your mouth, the flavor concentrates. It’s a revelation compared to bland boiled corn. This recipe from my Tome 2, it’s the ultimate indulgent version: a whole cob wrapped in a thick bacon slice tied up, gratinéed with cheddar and garnished with fresh chives.
🥓 Tied bacon makes all the difference
The trick is to get good quality bacon, really thick. If you go with cheap bacon on sale, it’ll be too thin, fall apart during cooking and give a messed up result. Thick bacon tied at 4-5 spots around the cob with butcher’s twine, and you have a fat-smoky-sweet combo that caramelizes alongside the corn. The bacon becomes crispy while the corn grills. Everything is ready at the same time.
🍔 The summer dinner that beats everything
This is exactly the kind of recipe that transforms a BBQ with friends into a feast. Serve this bacon corn with hot dogs, burgers, skewers or any grilled meat. It’s the BBQ side that steals the show. And for the even more indulgent version, check out my mais grillé à la sauce au fromage et chorizo. The other version you don’t expect.
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🥓 Thick good quality bacon, never cheap
If you go with thin bacon on sale, it’ll fall apart during cooking and the result will be messed up. Get really thick bacon (like Maple Leaf Centre Cut thick or butcher bacon). It holds well around the cob, caramelizes instead of burning, and the result is much nicer on the plate.
🪢 Butcher’s twine at 4-5 spots
Without twine, the bacon will unroll during cooking and everything will end up at the bottom of the BBQ. Butcher’s twine at 4 or 5 spots around the cob. Not too tight to avoid cutting the bacon, just enough so it holds. It’s a technical detail but it’s what makes the difference between a nice result and a mess.
🌽 BBQ corn vs boiled, never going back
Boiled corn is bland, grilled corn is a revelation. Cooked at maximum heat for 12 minutes, the corn caramelizes, the kernels burst and the flavor concentrates. Honestly, since I discovered this technique, I never boil a cob anymore.
🌡️ Max heat, 12 minutes, rotation every 3 minutes
Preheat your BBQ to maximum heat and keep it there throughout. 12 minutes total, you turn the cob a quarter turn every 3 minutes for even cooking. The bacon will caramelize while the corn grills. Everything is ready at the same time.
🧀 Cheddar while it’s hot
Cover the cobs with grated cheddar as soon as they come off the BBQ, while they’re still burning hot. The cheese will melt slightly on contact with the hot bacon and create an indulgent cheesy layer without needing to go back on the grill.
♨️ Reheat in the oven for leftovers
Leftovers reheat very well in the oven at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. The bacon regains its crispness and the cheese re-melts. Avoid the microwave (soft bacon, rubbery skin).
✅ What to serve with my grilled corn with bacon and cheddar?
This side goes with pretty much everything on the BBQ. Serve it with my beer-roasted chicken on the bbq for a perfect BBQ combo, my shrimp and halloumi skewers with homemade bang bang sauce for a complete meal, my Dark beer marinated beef flank steak for an unbeatable classic, or with my Chicken and pineapple skewers with whiskey and brown sugar for a Saturday night with friends.
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Ingredients
- 8 corn cobs, husked
- 8 slices of thick good quality bacon
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup (250 ml) grated cheddar
- 10 sprigs fresh chives, finely chopped
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Preparation
- Wrap each corn cob with a slice of thick bacon and secure well at 4 or 5 spots using butcher’s twine so the bacon stays in place during cooking.
- Lightly brush the wrapped cobs with olive oil.
- Preheat the BBQ to maximum heat. Oil the grill to prevent the bacon from sticking.
- Place the cobs directly on the grill and cook about 12 minutes total, turning every 3 minutes for even cooking and nicely golden on all sides. The bacon should be cooked and crispy at the same time as the corn caramelizes.
- Remove the cobs from the BBQ, place them on a serving dish and generously garnish with grated cheddar while they’re still hot (the cheese will melt slightly).
- Garnish with fresh chopped chives and serve immediately.
Because grilled corn on the barbecue concentrates the flavors and caramelizes the natural sugars in the corn. The kernels burst in your mouth, the taste is much deeper, and the effort is the same. Honestly, since I grill my corn, I never boil it anymore. It’s a revelation.
Thick good quality bacon, period. If you get thin bacon on sale, it’ll fall apart during cooking and give a messed up result. Look for thick center cut bacon or butcher bacon. It holds well around the cob and caramelizes instead of burning.
About 12 minutes total, at maximum heat, turning the cobs every 3 minutes for even cooking and nicely golden on all sides. The bacon should be crispy and caramelized at the same time as the corn grills.
No, this recipe is strictly made on the barbecue. The direct caramelization on the grill at high heat is what makes the corn and bacon perfect. In the oven, the bacon doesn’t caramelize the same way and you lose all the point of the recipe. Save this for BBQ season.
It’s the ultimate BBQ side. Serve it with my beer-roasted chicken on the bbq, my dark beer marinated beef flank steak, my chicken and pineapple skewers with whiskey and brown sugar, or with my even more indulgent version mais grillé à la sauce au fromage et chorizo.
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